Health Minister C. Vijayabaskar on Wednesday told the Assembly that doctors in Tamil Nadu were trying a drug-combination to treat patients affected by COVID-19, and expressed the hope that “everyone will be safe when the good news is out”.
“The research activities involve medicines used in the treatment of other viral diseases and other medicines. I don’t want to reveal the names of the medicines, keeping medical ethics in mind. We are trying the combination on those who have come from other States and those who are ready for the trial,” he said while responding to Opposition leader M.K. Stalin, who referred to reports that medicines were available in Rajasthan and the U.S.
The Minister said that when the doctors told him about the drug combination, he fixed a meeting of government doctors and experts of the King Institute.
Pointing out that the doctors had already successfully treated a patient, Mr. Vijayabaskar said there was no drug of choice, and doctors were providing “supportive and symptomatic treatment”.
Recalling the meeting he had with a youth at the Rajiv Gandhi Government Medical College Hospital, who had come there to get tested for COVID-19 because the multinational company for which he was working had insisted on a certificate though he had no symptoms, Mr. Vijayabaskar said samples should be taken only if a persons manifested symptoms.
When DMK member K. Ponmudi asked about the possibility of granting permission to private hospitals to conduct testing for COVID-19, the Minister said the Christian Medical College in Vellore and Apollo Hospitals in Chennai had already applied for the same, and the government had also made a recommendation for them.
“But the approval should be given only by the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR). In a few days, we will get the testing facilities in private and corporate hospitals, and the government will fix the rate,” the Health Minister said.
